


How the Grinch Got Therapy

by The_Red_Rabbit



Category: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:34:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28097007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Red_Rabbit/pseuds/The_Red_Rabbit
Summary: Epilogue to How the Grinch Stole Christmas empathizing with the Grinch. Because as a person with religious trauma, especially centered around Christmas, I think it's about time that we stop shaming people for not having fun during Christmas. Some people won't celebrate and it's weird how we're all expected to assimilate.
Kudos: 4





	How the Grinch Got Therapy

Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot

But the Grinch, Who lived just north of Whoville, Did NOT!

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!

But the Whos down in Whoville wouldn't listen to reason.

They said that his head wasn't screwed on just right.

They thought it could be that his shoes were too tight.

"But I think that the most likely reason of all,

Is the trauma you suffered when you were still small."

The Grinch said, "Hey Doc, I don't think that's quite right."

And she said, "Tell me what happened on that Christmas night.

You mean rotten Grinch, who was once so reviled,

Tell me what happened when you were a child."

He considered the question, he gave it much thought,

But remembering those things, well, it hurt him a lot.

"But that's not really the reason I'm here,

I'm trying to regain my holiday cheer.

I found it just once in the holiday square,

But in the years that have followed, I've found it quite rare.

Tell me what's wrong with me, Doctor, I plead!

Help me to fill this great Christmassy need!

For everyone else seems to like Christmas a lot,

But every carol I hear fills my heart up with rot.

I've tried - yes I've tried - to feel what the Whos feel,

But now I have to admit that cheer just isn't real.

I hate the Who-pudding, and the rare Who-roast beast.

But the noise, I do think, I can't stand in the least.

Why am I so broken? Will you fix me please?

Tell me why all the carols they sing make me freeze?"

The doctor said then, "You are an adult,

You have to remember the Whos were a cult.

Every who down in Whoville punished Grinches a lot,

And when they weren't submit, your parents were shot.

You held out on your own as long as you could,

But making it alone, well, nobody should.

After years of the teasing, the mocking, the jeers,

It's little wonder you've lost all your holiday cheer."

"But is it a weakness?" he cried with the smallest of tears.

"I've now let myself celebrate Christmas for years!

I've eaten their food and I've laughed and I've smiled,

Just the way the Whos wanted when I was a child."

"It's not a weakness to blend when you need to survive,

Survival is a basic, immutable drive.

You did what you must, of that there's no doubt-"

"But is survival the thing that Christmas is about?"

"I know that is the matter that we must address,

Instilled by the Whos who created this mess.

But for the meaning of Christmas, there's no need to look,

It comes not from a song or a tree or a book,

If you do not feel it, that isn't your fault,

When you're feeling this down, I just want you to halt,

And remember that Christmas isn't for everyone,

It's for those who want it, but it should be fun,

If it makes you feel uncomfortable or angry or sad,

You don't have to celebrate or pretend to be glad.

I'm proud of you for having the courage to break out,

Because only you can choose what Christmas is about."

And the Grinch cried just once with his Grinchy Grinch tears,

And acknowledged the fears he'd held onto for years,

He would never like Christmas, but that wasn't the matter,

It was just good to cut his way through all the chatter.

Nobody could tell him the things he should like,

And if they tried, he'd say take a hike.

Now he could stand on his own and just see,

How good it would feel to be finally free.

**Author's Note:**

> This was 100% written in a state of extreme frustration and I'm struggling not to apologize.
> 
> I have PTSD from repeated trauma that occurred every year on Christmas when I was a teenager. Christmas was never a fun time for me growing up because my stepfather always singled me (the autistic child) out to torment, but when I was a teenager it became yearly physical abuse. You can imagine that it's real convenient that some of my worst triggers are Elvis Christmas music (which was on the time he nearly killed me) and the season in general (because now I'm hypervigilant). 
> 
> I always just ask to be left alone and left out of it when Christmas comes around. I'm not Christian and I don't like how people get themselves so stressed about it and how it's turned into this Capitalism fest. But people insist on trying to give me "holiday cheer" and I don't want it. It stresses me out and makes me feel bad. Then I get accused of being a downer. And if I try to explain my triggers, it either makes people uncomfortable or they tell me they think I'm making that up or they tell me I "just need to let Jesus and the magic of Christmas in". 
> 
> It's just a massively uncomfortable time of year for me. Even well-meaning articles tell me I should "reclaim" something I have no interest in being a part of. It's exhausting. It's like Christmas is compulsory and I'm being forced to participate just by existing in a public space. We HAVE to be happy, otherwise we're the bad guys. Stop telling strangers to have a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. You don't know if they celebrate anything and it's weird. "Have a nice day" already exists.
> 
> Anyway, yeah. I think this was partially inspired by a post I saw on Tumblr years ago about how there seem to be no other Grinches so there must've been a Grinch genocide, but really I just got pissed off about how anyone who's not performing happiness this time of year is a Grinch or a Scrooge. All I asked was to be left out of it. 
> 
> So this is to everyone who has trauma around the holidays. Don't let anyone tell you that you have to participate if you don't want to.
> 
> And this should go without saying, but even if you don't have trauma, don't let anyone make you feel bad for not liking Christmas. I feel very isolated this time of year and I have to imagine it must be frustrating to not be Christian and have everyone expect other religions to just fall in line with the season.
> 
> Also this isn't the first time I over empathized with the Grinch. When I was in 8th grade, my drama class was challenged to write one act plays for Read Across America Week and my idea that my group did was about the Grinch. I played the Grinch after insisting that the Grinch didn't need to be played by a boy. It was my idea and it was gonna be me or nothing lol.


End file.
